You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

My DD had a hard time BFing and then at about 5 wks we started introducing bottles. We tried the Avent bottles and she could suck but not well and definately didn't like it. But, she could do it. Then about 2 wks after we started, she stopped. I had to return all the unopened Avent bottles and purchased a whole bunch of different bottles from babies r us. I found Breastflow bottles worked great. I returned everything else. We didn't get the bottle think down well until about 2wks before I started work. She would never take a pacifer and still wont

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

Originally Posted by mommylisa

Just a regular sippy cup?

Yep, just a regular sippy cup.
of course, having said that, if you look in the 'sippy cup' ailse in any big baby store or department store, you'll quickly see that there is no such thing as a "regular" sippy cup. they come in about as many varieties as bottles, with different stages and different "sippy" bits. but still, many bf babies who reject bottles will drink from a sippy cup.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

My girl would not take the bottle either. She would cry and close her mouth at the sight of it! I tried a bunch of different nipples- she likes the Gerber bottles the best. Too bad I bought all those expensive ones first! I also had to trick her into taking the bottle...I would feed her from one side and then offer the bottle. At first she would only take an ounce from the bottle and mostly play with it but then she got the hang of it. Now she switches back and forth like it was never an issue. Good Luck.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

Give it time, you still have a few weeks to work with her. Just keep working on it and she'll get the hang of it. My son did the same thing. The first time we tried the bottle he did amazing, but then next time he wanted nothing to do with it. Hang in there. Just a note, my pediatrician said told us not to switch to a faster flow nipple.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

My daughter absolutely refused to take anything but me for the first 4 months of her life. The first day she went to daycare I was terrified she would dehydrate, become sick and have to be hospitalized (yes, I was still dealing with hormones and new mommy jitters - it definately doesn't happen that fast! )

What happened, though, was that she figured out that if she wanted to eat when I wasn't there a bottle would have to do. And she did it....within the first few days.

I had several of my speech therapist friends try to feed her - we used Avent bottles with both kids, and they much preferred them to other brands (FYI) She just needed me completely out of the picture to be willing to give the bottle a try.

My husband is a great supporter of BF, and tried many may times to feed her - she just wasn't ready.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

This is my first post so be gentle
I'm a new dad and I bottle feed my wife's pumped milk once every morning in order to train our little one (11 wks) for when mom goes back to work and the in-laws will have to bottle feed.

Anyway- we introduced the bottle around 3 and a half weeks. Apparently it gets harder and harder the longer a person waits. Our girl occasionally gets fussy at the bottle and I've learned that it is one of a few things:

1) She's just fussy and not that hungry. This is, of course, after you are confident that she knows how to operate the nipple and there's nothing wrong with the pumped milk.
2) Wrong nipple: not just brand, but also the size (number) of nipple. We were using a #2 because it was what came with our sterilizer. But then we found out that she much preferred a #1. BUT THEN, later she wanted the #2 when she started growing again.
3) Wrong temp: Maybe it is just our little girl but she is VERY picky about temperature- AND she changes. It used to be okay to nuke some water for 1 minute and set the bottle into it to warm it for about 4 minutes (2 minutes, shake, 2 minutes more). Now the water needs to be nuked 2 minutes and the bottle needs to sit in the nuked water for 5 minutes total- she likes it MUCH warmer now- and much warmer than just body temp! I found this out after she was fussy with the bottle for a few feedings. My wife asked: are you sure it is warm enough? I warmed it more and the kid inhaled the remaining 2+ ounces like it was going out of style!

Right now, baby flails and kicks while feeding, however she continues to suck and swallow- so I'm content. She goes through periods, though, when she just plays with the nipple and spits it out. PERSEVERENCE is needed - that is, once you're sure your kid has the sucking ability!

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

Ahhh- one more reason our little lady doesn't take the bottle well is when you drop vitamin drops in the breast milk. After thinking about this, I don't think that I would want fruity flavored drops put in my milk either.

So if you have vitamins or any medication that you want to administer, I recommend just dropping them in your kids mouth directly and not trying the sneak it in through the breast milk! It may ruin your whole feeding session!

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

My baby is 6 months and will NOT take a bottle, even with ebm! Sometimes I give her a sippy cup but I think she would rather play with it. As for now, I just can't do anything unless she is sleeping and no longer than an hour and a half. I have already taken her to the movies a few times. My husband and I like to get out sometimes so Jacy comes to! And breastfeeding is great for the movies...baby eats, we watch the movie...
=)

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

My dd didn't want to take a bottle at 8 weeks. We tried every nipple we could and she finally took to the Gerber bottles. I susppose becasue the nipple is really little. Someone told me when I was having trouble to find a nipple that most resembles you. Like you I had a month to work on it so I would try to nurse her and then give her the bottle. It helped her associate the bottle with feeding. It took a few weeks but now she take the bottle like a pro. Good luck and don't fret.

Re: Help- Not Taking the bottle

Hi, This is the first time I've ever used this website and I have to say, there are a lot of great advice out there!
I'm also having major problems getting my 3 month old to take the bottle. He is breastfed exclusively and I'm starting work full time in two weeks. We've tried 3 different nipples. I have no choice to offer him the bottle myself since my husband works full time during the day. In the evenings, my husband also tries to offer the bottle but he refuses. On the weekends, my sister and mother in law also tried to give him the bottle with me out of sight, but he is still refusing. I've heard from a couple of friends that I should let him starve and go on a BF strike, because he will eventually HAVE to take it. I tried that today but I didn't get pass one missed feeding and I caved in - I cannot take watching him cry from hunger. My plan was to "train" him to bottle feed him the whole 9 hours I'd be at work and BF during the time I'd get home. I was planning to try this again this whole week, but I'm not sure if this is the right answer.... Did anyone do this?